Let's make contraceptives accessible and affordable

Women at Kinarani chief's office in Kaloleni attending a training on family planning and positive parenting. [File, Standard]

A recent report by the National Syndetic Diseases Control Council (NSDCC) reveals that at least 41 per cent of all new HIV infections in the country occur among adolescents and young people aged between 15 and 24 years.

This report shows that our mission must now be to improve awareness of all contraceptive methods available and enable young people to make informed choices on their sexual and reproductive health.

Besides the availability of commodities, the funding must also include training, mentorship and youth-friendly services. Despite Kenya making progress in the uptake of modern contraception methods, inequality in access still exists especially among people living with disabilities, the urban poor, those in rural areas, and persons living with HIV.

The youth often face additional barriers in accessing contraception, which has a bearing on adolescent pregnancy and increases risk of HIV and other STIs. Statistics indicate girls as young as 10 are getting pregnant, a preventable situation if they received age-appropriate information about sexual health and reproductive rights.

We need to empower them with education. It is essential to provide accurate and comprehensive information about each contraceptive method to empower individuals to make informed decisions.

Young people are calling for consideration of their sexual health with facilities and services that are non-judgmental and easily accessible. As demonstrated in several instances, contraception is not always as efficacious as indicated, and Governments and private companies should be held accountable in cases where defective contraceptives are circulated.

Also, there are many cases where contraception methods fail. Therefore, access to safe and legal abortion services is crucial to ensure women's and girls' sexual and reproductive health rights. Also, Government would be on the right if they focus on this in a bid to encourage family planning uptake and population dividends.

It is therefore, up to county governments to ensure they create a budget line for this vital service. Besides that, they should also create awareness of these services and products, some of which are filled with myths that impede uptake.

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Importantly, the government must avoid situations such as the distribution of contaminated commodities or delays in release of these products as was the case early this year. With proper planning and budget allocation, such situations can be avoided and women all over the country would not have to worry about unintended pregnancies.

The author is a health and sexual reproductive rights and youth advocate at Naya Kenya